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My breath hitches, and I imagine running my palms over his face.
Stop!
One thing at a time. Must take this slowly. Can’t get ahead of myself. Not when so much is on the line.
He doesn’t smile when he sits.
My muscles tighten. Is he onto me? Did he tell Angelina about me, and they figured out the truth? If he’s going to confront me, he’s sure to have her around somewhere. They’ll both want in on it.
I look around for my sister. Can’t see anyone.
“Is everything okay?” I give him a careful smile.
Peter rubs his temples. “It was a rough morning. We almost lost a patient. The anesthesia started to wear off in the middle of the surgery.” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “It was touch and go, and the surgeon and I kept getting in each other’s way as we both worked to save the patient’s life.”
“But he’s okay?”
“She. Yes, barely.”
He doesn’t suspect me of anything. I rest my hand on top of his. “It sounds like you’re the hero of the day.”
Peter opens his eyes, and this time I notice the red lines in his whites. “She’s in critical care, but the prognosis is good, considering. Not out of the woods, not even close.”
This is the perfect opening for me to usher in Phase Two.
I squeeze his hand. “What can I do to help you relax?”
He stares out the window. “Hopefully food will help.”
When the server arrives, he orders for both of us. Given how stressed he is, I let it go. But not before ordering some wine. The man needs it, and I need him relaxed.
Peter sips on the cabernet without saying much.
I pick at my food, doubting myself. It might be better to move on from this phase when he’s not out of it. I can’t risk anything going wrong, and I’m not sure how Peter will respond to anything in this state of mind.
After he asks for the check, I rest my hand on his knee. “How much longer do you have before going back to work?”
He rubs his eyes. “I’m off for the day. I went in super early today, remember?”
“Right. How could I have forgotten?”
“It’s easy to do, given how often my schedule changes on a dime.”
This is the perfect opportunity for me now that he doesn’t have to be back to his job. “I have an idea.” It takes all of my self-control to keep the giddiness out of my tone.
Peter turns to me. “What’s that?”
I scoot closer to him. “Let’s get a hotel room. I can give you a massage to help you relax. We can order room service and take advantage of whatever else they offer.”
His expression brightens. “That sounds nice.”
“Of course it does. Let me take care of you after the day you’ve had.”
“That’s really thoughtful of you. Wait. What about the kids?”
“Taken care of. Don’t worry about them.”
“Really?”
